Remembering an Old Friend
“So… Fuuka. What made you even want to run a company?”
Fuuka jolted a bit, but composed herself.
“W-well, I’d seen how well yours was doing, and I figured… Maybe I could do good in the business too! And I guess I was right!”
“Ah, I see. Just curiosity? No… Spite?”
“What? Why would there be any spite..?”
“Makoto. Aigis, even.”
“O-oh… M-Mitsuru! You remember the Aigis thing w-was a fluke! I-I was drunk, and-!”
Mitsuru just laughed, while Fuuka sipped her tea blushing from embarrassment.
“.. drunk, I swear…”
“I’m sure.”
Fuuka just huffed a little more, continuing to drink. Mitsuru did the same, but with a smile on her face. They sat in silence for a while, when they both remembered something that only Mitsuru said out loud.
“Aigis’s birthday would’ve been tomorrow.”
Aigis, their old friend. The Anti-Shadow weapon didn’t have as much use after the Dark Hour truly went away, so she enrolled in the army. She did well, as you could assume. Ranked up quickly, able to defeat anything that was in her way. However, years ago, once a deadly disease broke out that caused people to become… essentially zombies, they sent out the best of their force to lead. And that included Aigis. She did well, as was expected. But one day, she was abandoned by her men as a particularly strong one was charging forward at them. It tore through people like a knife through paper, and it was just it versus Aigis. She fought hard, and defeated it, but it took everything in her. After her Orgia mode wore off, she was left alone, torn, and on a low battery. They never found anything from her body other than a single hand.
The only reason Mitsuru even heard of the accident was because she was now the technical owner of Aigis, due to her being the heir of the Kirijo group after her mother died due to medical complications. It tore her apart, hearing that her friend died. She tried to get over it alone, but she just couldn’t. She called over Fuuka, since they were still very close. They drank and mourned Aigis, and that’s when Fuuka’s comment about Aigis came out. How she loved her. Of course, they both chalked it up to drunkenness and misinterpretation. But Fuuka knew it was a lie. She did love Aigis, when she was alive. She couldn’t anymore, so she just forgot about her. Forced her out of her own mind. But that loss inspired Fuuka to make the company. Aigis Technologies. And that hand that was left over was mailed to Fuuka, and displayed in her home. In the closet, in which a bunch of her stuff was. Buried under random things, in a glass case, was her crush’s only remaining part.
Fuuka looked over to the calendar. Yep. September 19th. One day before. Mitsuru noticed Fuuka’s smile drop, and she lightly frowned. She reached across the table and cupped Fuuka’s cheek, forcing her to look away from the calendar.
“Fuuka, dear… I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said it.”
“N-no, it’s fine, I… I just… forgot. I shouldn’t forget.”
Fuuka was gently rubbing her cheek against Mitsuru’s hand, seemingly not knowing herself. Mitsuru smiled, thinking it was absurdly adorable.
“You’re right. But it’s okay. You’ve mourned Aigis, and now she’s leaving your mind. It’s natural.”
Fuuka just sighed, placing her own hand over Mitsuru’s.
“After all, I have you now, right? I don’t need to dwell on an old crush…”
Mitsuru just nodded, yawning lightly.
“You tired? I’ve got a guest bedroom-”
“I am tired. But I don’t want to sleep there.”
Fuuka blushed a little at Mitsuru’s forwardness.
“Y-you’re less shy… Makoto really did a number on that, huh? B-but I guess my bed is big enough..”
“And if it is not, I assure you I make a good mattress.”
Fuuka blushed even harder. “T-then w-we can go… now…”
Fuuka took Mitsuru’s hand as they walked to the bedroom, and Fuuka opened the door. Her room was lit in a dim, purple light from UV lamps over the small persimmon tree in the far corner. There were flowers again across the room. She had a music system set up in another corner, and shelves of CDs by it. And against the opposite wall, was a large bed. One side was just Fuuka-sized, and the other had several plushies and pillows on it. Mitsuru smiled as she looked around the room, and let out a small laugh as she looked at the bed.
“Do I need to know their names before I rest next to you?”
“M-maybe..”
“Well, tell them to me.”
Mitsuru laid down on the empty spot in the bed, and pulled Fuuka down onto her. Fuuka blushed intensely, but settled down, resting her head on Mitsuru’s chest.
“W-well t-that one’s Mini Koromaru… uh, t-there’s Maya.. a-and over there’s Tatsuya… and…”
This went on for some time, Fuuka stuttering from embarrassment and naming each and every plush on her bed. Mitsuru smiled and nodded along, memorizing each and every name. It would probably surprise Fuuka in the morning, but it didn’t matter. Mitsuru gradually fell asleep, but still tried to get every last name, even as her eyes fluttered shut under her new girlfriend’s body. Fuuka kept going for a while after this, but upon looking up and seeing Mitsuru’s sleeping face, she sighed.
“G’night, Mitsuru..”
They slept through the night peacefully, unaware of the glow of the azure eyes that watched them.